Grilled vegetables from the farmers market shine in this vegetarian orzo pasta salad, perfect as a side dish or meatless main.
Grilled Vegetable Orzo Pasta Salad
This delicious pasta salad is made with grilled vegetables tossed with orzo, fresh tomatoes, basil, and vinegar and oil. It’s an easy lunch to prep ahead for the week or served as a side dish with anything you’re grilling. Some other orzo recipes you should try are this Orzo with Zucchini and Tomato and Shrimp Scampi with Broccoli Orzo.
This 3-piece grill pan (affil link) set is so useful for grilling vegetables all summer long.
Is orzo pasta?
Yes! Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta that you cook in a pot of boiling water. Since we’re adding it to a cold salad for this recipe, rinse the orzo under cold water after draining it.
Orzo Salad Ingredients:
I used fresh vegetables that I found at the farmers market in this orzo salad, but feel free to swap any of them out if you find something that looks delicious at your market.
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red onion
- Yellow bell pepper
- Red bell pepper
- Zucchini
I grilled all of the veggies in a grill basket except for the tomatoes. If you don’t have a grill, a grill pan or broiler works great too.
How long does orzo salad last in the fridge?
This orzo salad will last in the fridge for four to five days, making it great for meal prep.
Variations:
- You can substitute the orzo with another type of small pasta, like elbow, farfalle, or orecchiette.
- Add goat or feta cheese to the salad.
- Swap the zucchini with yellow squash or the red onion with shallot.
- Feel free to switch out the cherry tomatoes with grape tomatoes.
- For an extra vegetable, throw in some chopped spinach.
- If you want more fresh herbs, use parsley or oregano.
More Pasta Salad Recipes You’ll Love:
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Summer Pasta Salad with Baby Greens
- Warm Pasta Salad with Corn and Zucchini
- Balsamic Roasted Veggie and White Bean Pasta
- Summer Macaroni Salad with Tomatoes and Zucchini
Grilled Vegetable Orzo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups uncooked orzo pasta, wheat or gluten-free
- 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
- 1 clove minced garlic
- extra virgin olive oil spray
- 1 small red onion, quartered
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into 4 pieces
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into 4 pieces
- 1 large, 10 ounce zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
- kosher salt
- black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
Instructions
- Cook orzo in salted water according to package directions; drain and rinse under cold water, transfer to a large bowl and combine with tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the oil and garlic.
- Meanwhile spray the onions, bell peppers and zucchini with olive oil; season with 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Grill vegetables on a grill basket over oiled grates, covered, (or broil 4 inches from flame) 10-12 minutes or until lightly charred and tender, turning halfway.
- Set aside on a cutting board to cool slightly, then dice into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Toss with the remaining olive oil and vinegar and top with chopped basil.
Can I use just fresh vegetables instead of grilling or roasting them ?